Steam-heating system.



C. A. BALL.

STEAM HEATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4. 1916.

Patented Sept. 12,1916.

srrr

CHARLES BALL, F NEvV YORK, N.'Y.

STEAM-HEATING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters iatent. ?atented Sept. 12, h9 3.

Original application filed. August 13, 1915, Serial in. 45,373. Divided and this application filed March s,

' 1916. Serial No. 32,182.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. BALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in

State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam- Heating Systems, of which the following is a specification. v

Myinvention relates to steam heating sys- 19 tems, and is a division of an application filed by me Aug. 13, 1915, Serial No. 45,337 3,

, said application being for a process for supplying steam to radiators or other heating units'by gravity, the steam automatically forcing out of the radiators and the piping the. air therein. The present invention is directed to the apparatus for carrying into effect this process.

In carryingcut myinvention, I provide a sealed system,

medium, the same being under pressure, 'or exhaust steam, means of automatic check and thermostatic either live steam reliei valves in the return provide for the" 5 flow of steam through thesystem from the top downward, the air in the system, which 's of greater Specific gravity than the falling to the bottom of the system and passing through the thermostatic element, either 0 by reason of the pressure of live steam forcing it downward, or by. reason of the suction' induced by an exhaust pump .on the re- I turn side of the thermostatic element.

In carrying out n invention, the same 35.involves certain details of construction, as

i will be more definitely pointed out, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing.

a portion of the system, including one radiator and the supply and return to the exhaust pump and condensation pump. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of one of the check valves employed with each radiator.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the check valve employed in the condensation return. Fig. l is a similar View of one of the thermostatic valves.

In said drawing, the reference numeral 1 50. denotethe steam supply pipe for the sys tem, having tapped therefrom thepipe 2 which communicateswith the radiator 3 at both ends forming a common supply and return pipe therefor. In that connection with the borough of Manhattan and.

and admit thereto a heating and by steam,

through a thermostatic valve 7 interposed in the pipe '3, which communicates between pipes 1 and 5, said thermostatic valve being shown in detail in Fig. 4, and hereinafter described, Below the connection of pipe 5 with the steam pipe 1 is a return pipe connection 9 communicating with the return condensation main 10 of the system, a check valve 11, shown in detail in Fig. 3, being located in said pipe 9, and said condensation return pipe leading' to the usual pump 12.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 2, the check valve will be seen to embody a swinging valve member 13, pivoted at la in the casing, in such manner as to hang vertically like a pendulum, so as to be normally slightly ofi its seatwhen the pressures in the radiator and in the pipe 2 are equalized. By this construction, there is a perfectly and yet a- 'most eflicient' check against the clined seat15, and does not have thependulu'm-like swing of the valve member 13 of the valve d.- 'This valve 11, however,-

is a conventional one andmay be in the open market;

.In Fig. 4, I have illustrated a preferred form of thermostatic valve -7, the thermostatic element being shown at 16 and there purchased being disposed abovesaid element a ball free passage from the radiator to the pipe 2, v

valve 17, which will open u vardly, but

will prevent any return or bac pressure.

In operation, the system is sealed ciiec tually against atmosphere, and steam is supplied to the pipe 1 leading downward therein to the radiators or other heating el s,r ments. If live steam 1s used, the elasticity I of the same will cause it to advance down the pipe and enter the radiator3 through the pipe 2, the same building up in the first section of said radiator, which, as shown in diator which will se he will be con section", is cut of? at the bottom. from t'le next section thereof, so that the steam will build up in the first section and be supplied therefrom to the successive sections from the top of said first section. Ls long as the steam pressure is exerted in the radiator 23, there Will be a necessary dropping oi air in the radiator through the CllQClZ valve l and pipe 2, and the consequent discharge thereof. through the thermostatic valve Z and pipe 5 to the atmosphere or to the exhaust pump 6. A d this discharge of air. from the radiator (ill in no way be retarded by the valve 4, because of its peculiar pendulumlike construction, whereby it is normally free from its and yet ready to respond to the slightest back pressure. lVhere exhaust steam is used, or steam having heat units but not elasticity, the exhaust pump 6 is necessary to draw the entrained air iuthe radiators'and piping from in front of the approaching steam in the pipe 1, but in both cases, the pressure radiator being substantially the some as that in the pipe, the steam takes the place of the air by gravity, the air dropping to the ho tom of the system because of its greater sp cific gravity, and its place being taken automatically by the steam. It will, of course, be understood that the pump 12 operates to relieve the system of water of condensation, and to return it to the boiler in the usual manner.

I have also shown in. Fig. l, a valve 18 at the top of the radiator 2, which valve is for the purpose of controlling the supply of steam to said radiator. In this connection I prefer to use a valve substantially similar to that disclosed in W. Hammond, No, 985,526, dated Feb. 28, 1911, though I do not limit myself to such construction. All that is necessary is that the valve 18 shall enable an operator to control the quantity of steam admitted to the radiator, so that if a portion of the steam is cut oli", less steam is admitted to the ra diator than the latter can condense, Which will cause cond nsatiou vacuum the racheclr halve 13 and L A Where b l cc be subjected to contact With the stea. .1, and hence a lowering of the h eli'ect. It will be undersmod tint entire system 'olled in i winner by sin: gle valve like the .8 located basement of the b i plate th in order 1' at each equippeo, control may he has patent to George supply and return pipe from said downfiow pipe to said radiator unit, l e1" valve in said common supply and ret ."n pipe at the return side of the radiator unit opening freely to permit the discharge of air and water from said radiator unit but closed against back pressure, whereby Water and air are removed from the unit by gravity, and a thermostatic valve connected with said down-410W pipe below said radiator unit.

5. A. steam heating system, comprising a sealed circuit for the steam, a radiator unit, a down-flow pipe in said circuit, a common supply and return pipe from said down flow pipe to said radiator unit, a valve in the top of said radiator for controlling the ingress of steam thereto, and a relief valve in said common supply and return pipe at the return side of the radiator unit opening freely to permit the discharge of air and Water from said radiator unit but closed against back pressure, whereby Water and air are removed from the unit by gravity.

A steam hezlting system, comprising a scaled circuit for the steam, a radiator unit,

a down-flow pipe in said circuit, a common supply and return pipe from said downliow pipe to said radiator unit, a valve in the top or said radiator for cont 'olling theingress of steam thereto, a relief valve in said common supply and return pipe at the return side of the radiator opening freely to permit the discharge oi? air and Water from said radiator unit but closed against back pressure, whereby Water and air are removed. from the unit by gravity,

and a thermostatic valve connected With said. downdiou' pipe below said radiator n testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand this 5th da of January, lulu.

BALL.

till 

